At least 3 dead in explosion at Los Angeles County Sheriff’s training facility

At least three people were killed in an explosion at a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department training facility on Friday morning, authorities said.

The facility, the Eugene Biscailuz Regional Training Center, is about 5 miles east of L.A. City Hall.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed the fatalities while announcing federal agents were responding to the incident.

“I just spoke to @USAttyEssayli about what appears to be a horrific incident that killed at least three at a law enforcement training facility in Los Angeles,” Bondi posted to X.

“Our federal agents are at the scene and we are working to learn more. Please pray for the families of the sheriff’s deputies killed.”

The L.A. City Fire Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents and the LAPD bomb squad responded to the scene, Mayor Karen Bass said.

“The thoughts of all Angelenos are with all of those impacted by this blast,” Bass said in a statement.

The office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statement that the governor had been briefed on the “reported explosion.”

“The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, @Cal_OES, is in contact with the Sheriff’s Department and closely monitoring the situation, and has offered full state assistance,” the statement posted to X said.

Hilda Solis, who represents the L.A. County Board of Supervisors district where the blast happened, said she’s been in close contact with Sheriff Robert Luna.

“I am deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred this morning at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Biscailuz Training Academy in East Los Angeles,” Supervisor Solis said in a statement.

“My heart goes out to the families, friends, and colleagues of the three individuals who lost their lives in what appears to have been a devastating explosion. I am in contact with Sheriff Robert Luna and closely monitoring the situation as we await further details. My thoughts are with all those grieving and the first responders who are on the scene.”

The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department is the nation’s largest local sheriff’s agency. Deputies patrol L.A. County courthouses, jails, unincorporated communities in the county and provides police services to cities that contract with the department.